John kiekpateick



(No Model.)

J. KIRKPATRICK.

' GATE.

Patented July 4, 1882.

fiwwziar:

% AWMM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J OHN KIRKPATRICK, OF LINCOLN, ILLINOIS.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 260,579, dated July 4, 1882,

Application filed April 12, 1882. (N 0 model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN KIRKPATRICK, of Lincoln, Logan county, State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Construction of Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a description of said improvement, reference being bad to accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This device pertains to a gate destitute of hinges, swinging, and being balanced upon a post, the pivotal point being-the center of the top of said post. g

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a gate, letter E representing the top rail thereof, resting upon the top of post F and extending back of said post. Upon the rear end of rail E is placed a Weight, G, of any substance de sired, such as will make the weight in the rear of the center of said post about equal to the weight of said gate. Fig. 2 represents the upper section of post F, also a section of rail E, and other parts of said device, hereinafter explained.

The gate-post should be round, and upon the top of and firmly attached to it is a circular metallic friction-plate, (shown by letter 0.) To the under surface of rail E, and directly above plate 0, is a similar metallic plate, D, firmly attached to said rail, and which, when the gate is swung in position, will rest upon plate 0. As in opening and closing said gate plate D will necessarily turn upon plate 0 for the purpose of lessening the friction, a portion of vthe surface of one or both of said plates, around the center thereof, may be a smooth horizontal plane and very slightly diverging therefrom to the circumference.

Through the rail E, directly over the center smoothly and easily. At the lower end of the back perpendicular rail of said gate is a semicircular stirrup or band, (shown by letter 13,) composed of metal or a strip of wood or other substance, (metal being decidedly preferable,) and may be constructed of a rod or small bar or a strip. The circular portion of said band is placed and revolves loosely around post F, the ends thereof not brought together, but extending forward and being securely bolted or otherwise fastened 'to said rail or to a short cross-section of timber or metal securely attached to and transversely across said rail, so that said band with its connections with said rail will completely encircle said post. To said rail is also firmly secured a friction roller or pulley, (shown by letter A,) the edge or outer surface of which presses lightly against said post F.

In opening and closing a gate thus constructed and swung into position the gate turns upon or around bolt H as its pivotal point, and,-being very nearly equally balanced by the weight G, will turn easily. The bolt H and band B will keep thegate in position, and they, in connection with roller A, will effectually preserve its equilibrium. The gate, being very slightly heavier than the balancingweight, will almost entirely destroy the friction of band B, and the roller A will press very lightly upon the gate-post, revolve upon its own axis, and roll around the surface of the gate-post.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new. and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The circular perforated metallic frictionplates 0 and D, in combination with the stirrup or band B and the friction-roller A, all constructed as and for the purposes herein set forth.

JOHN KIRKPATRICK.

Witnesses:

WM. H. HAHN, .J. '1. RUDOLPH. 

